How to remove news from the left Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of MIUI-enclosed smartphones often encounter the intrusive service that appears when swiping to the right of the first screen.This functionality, known as Google Discover or Widget Ribbon, can be annoying because of its redundancy and traffic consumption. Many users are looking for a way to remove news from Xiaomi's left to free up space and speed up the interface. The process of disabling is simple, but requires understanding the logic of the launcher.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for deactivating the news feed, from standard system settings to deeper parameter manipulations. You will learn why this element may not turn off the first time and what hidden settings affect its display. We will look at current versions of MIUI and HyperOS, providing coverage for most modern device models.

Sometimes standard switches can be hidden or malfunctioned due to system errors, and in such cases, alternative methods of resetting desktop settings are necessary. It is important to understand that removing the news feed does not affect the stability of the operating system, but only returns the classic type of navigation.

Problem analysis: what is Google Discover on Xiaomi

The tape on the left is an integrated content aggregator that is activated by default in the MIUI shell. It loads personalized articles, weather, currency rates and recommendations based on search history. For many users, it is a useful tool, but Google Discover often consumes a significant amount of RAM in the background.

The main problem is that the system positions this feature as an integral part of the interface. When you first start a smartphone or after a major firmware update, the setting is often forced to activate. If you want to return a clean Android experience, you need to know exactly where the switch is hiding.

It’s worth noting that the path to settings may vary slightly on different versions of the firmware, and in older versions of MIUI, this item was simply called “Widget Tape”, whereas in newer builds it is rigidly tied to a Google account, and understanding this difference will help you find the menu item you want faster.

• 🔍 The tape consumes Internet traffic even in a blocked state.
• ⚡ The function can cause micro-freezes when scrolling through desktops.
• 📱 On screens with a cutout under the camera, widgets can block important notifications.

⚠️ Disabling the news feed does not remove the Google app from the system, it only hides its integration with the desktop.

Standard method of disconnection through desktop settings

The easiest and safest way to remove news from Xiaomi’s left is to use the regular launcher settings menu, which works on the vast majority of devices, regardless of the Android version.

You need to get to the desktop control menu first, and you can do this in two ways: through general system settings or through the context menu of the screen itself, and the second option is often faster, because it doesn't require a deep immersion into the MIUI system menu.

Find an empty area on any screen and hold your finger for a few seconds, and the screen will shrink and the bottom dashboard will appear, and that's where the key interface design options, including widget and newsfeed management, are located.

Once you enter the settings, find a item that may be called "Widget Tape", "Google Discover" or "One Screen Mode" depending on the regional version of the firmware. The switch is usually at the top of the list. Once it is deactivated, the swipe to the left will stop opening the news feed.

Alternative path through system settings

If the desktop context menu is not responsive or hidden, you can use the basic settings menu of your smartphone, which is longer, but it allows you to access the settings even in the event of an interface failure, and here we work with the global settings of the system.

Go to Settings and scroll to Desktop. In some versions of MIUI, this section may be inside the category of Additional or System Applications. Be careful, the names may vary.

Inside the desktop menu, look for the option that's responsible for the extra screen, often called the Extra Screen or Screen-1. This is where the switch that activates the news feed hides, and it instantly removes the extra space on the left.

It is important to note that in some global firmware versions, a menu item may be hidden if Google services are not activated or removed by the user, in which case the system automatically disables this feature.

Problems: If the switch is not working

There are times when the user has done everything, but the news still comes up, which can be caused by a launcher caching or a conflict of Google app versions, and in these cases, a deeper cleaning of the parameters is required.

The first step is to clean up the Desktop data. Don't worry, your icons and folders won't be lost, just reset the interface configuration. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All apps and find the Desktop list.

Inside the app menu, click Clear and select Clear All or Reset. After that, the phone can reboot or just update the interface. Check if the tape has disappeared. If not, try clearing the data from the Google app itself.

It’s also worth checking for updates to the Google App component in the Play Market. Often, bugs with non-switchable tape are associated with an outdated version of the service. Updating to the latest version can fix the switch logic error.

Use of third-party launchers for full control

If standard methods do not give the desired result or you want to radically change the appearance of the smartphone, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher, these are programs that completely replace the standard Xiaomi desktop.

Popular solutions like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair, or Microsoft Launcher allow you to flexibly customize every interface element, and they don't have a pressing news feed on the left, unless you want to, and installing a launcher is a radical but effective way to forget about MIUI problems.

To install a third-party launcher download APK-file from a reliable source or find the application in Google Play. After installation, the system will prompt you to select the default application for the home screen.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher provides maximum speed and flexibility.
• 🎨 Lawnchair imitates pure Android Pixel with minimalism.
• 🛡️ Microsoft Launcher offers great integration with Windows services.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some branded gestures MIUI (For example, calling the application menu with a double tap may stop working or require additional settings.

💡

Before installing a new launcher, take a screenshot of the location of your icons to quickly restore the familiar structure on the new desktop.

Specificity of the disconnection in HyperOS

With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, which replaces MIUI, the menu structure has changed, the operating principle remains the same, but the names of items and their location may have shifted, users of the new Xiaomi 14 or updated models need to be more careful.

In HyperOS, widget and tape management is taken into a separate submenu with a long press on an empty space. Click on the gear icon in the lower right corner. Here you will see More widgets or Ribbon widgets.

The key difference is that Xiaomi's services are more aggressively integrated, and if you're using a Chinese firmware version with a global language installed, the tape may be called Mi Video or Glance, and the method of shutting down is similar: finding a switch in your desktop settings.

💡

In HyperOS, the interface settings are spread out in two places: the general system settings and the desktop context menu.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)